Mikel Arteta has built a truly world-class squad at Arsenal over the last few years.

From front to back, the likes of William Saliba, Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze would comfortably get into any side in the Premier League.

Yet, even though he’s not been at his very best this season, Bukayo Saka still stands as the club’s most important player.

The Hale Ender is their talisman, someone capable of winning games on his own, so fans should be delighted by reports linking Arsenal to someone even better than Saka.

Arsenal target a better player than Saka

Arsenal have already been linked with several truly brilliant players ahead of the winter window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, Juventus’ Kenan Yıldız has been touted for a £88m move to the Emirates, as has Real Madrid’s Rodrygo.

However, while both of these wingers are sensational talents and would undoubtedly improve the Gunners’ squad, neither one is better than Saka.

Vinícius Júnior, on the other hand, just might be.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are now interested in the Madrid superstar.

The report has revealed that with talks over a new deal at the Bernabéu going poorly, the Gunners are now ‘pursuing the Brazilian.’

A potential price is not mentioned, but with Transfermarkt valuing the winger at €150m – about £132m – it would likely require a new British record transfer fee.

With that said, if Arsenal have the chance to sign Vini Jr, they should take it, not least because he’s one of the few attackers in the world better than Saka.

How Vini compares to Saka

Now, the first thing to make clear is that Saka is a genuinely world-class footballer, and not only that, but he has the chance to become a legend at Arsenal.

However, what is equally true is that Vini Jr might just be a marginally better player, but one who could form a devastating partnership with him on the opposite flank.

With that out of the way, which international superstar comes out on top when we look at their output this season?

Well, so far this year, the Gunners’ number seven has scored six goals in 15 appearances, totalling 1053 minutes, coming out to an average of a goal every 2.5 games, or every 175.5 minutes.

For his efforts, the former Flamengo gem has scored five goals and provided four assists in 17 appearances, totalling 1172 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.88 games, or every 130.22 minutes.

Which game-changing wideman comes out on top when taking a look under the hood, at their underlying numbers?

Well, perhaps a little surprisingly, the Brazilian dynamo doesn’t just come out better in most metrics, but practically every single relevant one.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.57

0.47

Progressive Passes

4.80

2.21

Progressive Carries

8.90

4.07

Shots

3.21

2.22

Shots on Target

1.40

1.05

Passing Accuracy

79.9%

72.4%

Key Passes

2.90

2.21

Passes into the Penalty Area

2.10

1.74

Shot-Creating Actions

6.92

4.55

Goal-Creating Actions

0.80

0.12

Tackles Won

0.80

0.58

Successful Take-Ons

3.00

1.98

For example, these include metrics like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, shots on target, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Saka is an exceptional player, but as Ronaldo once pointed out, Vini Jr is arguably “the best player in the world”, and therefore, if Arsenal have even the slightest chance to sign him, they should go all out to do so.

Trossard upgrade: Arsenal hold talks to sign "one of the world's best wingers"

Despite his brilliant form, Arsenal could soon sign an upgrade on Leandro Trossard.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 25, 2025

Barcelona have confirmed a fresh injury setback as midfielder Fermin Lopez has been ruled out for around two weeks with a soleus problem in his right leg. The midfielder, who has been key for Hansi Flick this season, will now miss crucial La Liga and Champions League clashes. His absence arrives just as Pedri nears his return, reshaping the midfield picture during a demanding run of fixtures.

• Barcelona lose midfield mainstay

  Barca have confirmed that midfielder Lopez will miss the next two weeks after suffering a minor injury to the soleus muscle in his right leg during Thursday’s training session. It is a major setback for Hansi Flick, who had only just received good news with Pedri cleared for a return against Alaves. 

  The club explained in a statement that the midfielder "has a small injury to the soleus muscle in his right leg, and his estimated recovery time is around two weeks.”

  The timing is damaging for Flick, as this lay-off rules Fermin out of key La Liga and Champions League fixtures after a heavy 3-0 defeat against Chelsea. And, now the midfielder is expected to miss matches against Alaves, Atletico Madrid, Betis and Eintracht Frankfurt, and it remains uncertain whether he will recover in time to face Osasuna on December 13, only two days after the predicted recovery window ends.

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• AFP
  

  Injury sustained in Athletic Club clash

  Fermín had been enjoying a strong season and recently reached 100 appearances for the first team. While highlighting his contribution. His availability had been particularly valuable at a moment when Barca are visibly struggling in the midfield marked with injuries, making this injury even more disruptive for Flick’s squad planning.

  Beyond the medical report, the context of Fermin’s injury offers insight into why his absence could weigh heavily on the team. reported that the midfielder is still dealing with the effects of a forceful challenge suffered against Athletic Club, a tackle from Oihan Sancet that resulted in a red card for the Bilbao player. Despite continued discomfort, Fermin pushed himself to start Barca’s Champions League match at Stamford Bridge, where the team suffered a heavy defeat.

  He played just over an hour before being substituted, and the accumulated strain appears to have contributed to Thursday’s setback in training. This latest issue marks his second injury of the season and arrives at a time when Barca’s injury list had finally begun to shrink, with only long-term absentees Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Gavi still out.

• Pedri returns but midfield still a challenge for Flick

  While the loss of Fermin is a concern, Barca did receive a boost in the form of Pedri’s recovery. The midfielder trained normally on Thursday and is expected to be available for the Alaves clash. His return offers Flick more options and could allow the club to manage workloads more carefully, particularly after the intense calendar that has carried the squad into physical fatigue.

  Pedri’s return also opens the door for Dani Olmo to reclaim a starting role in attacking midfield, especially with Flick keen to rotate and protect key players. Fermin’s absence had already influenced Tuesday’s lineup in London, where Barcelona struggled without midfield balance and control.

  This period demands careful squad management, with Barca chasing ground in La Liga following their Champions League setback. Flick must now rely on the depth of his midfield, including Pedri, Olmo and Frenkie de Jong to navigate the next two weeks.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What next?

  Fermin is expected to miss at least four matches, most importantly a key matchup when Atletico Madrid visit Camp Nou, and the crucial Champions League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt. 

  Should recovery go as planned, the midfielder could return around December 13, which places Osasuna at home as his earliest realistic comeback match. However, Barcelona will not rush him, especially given the recurring nature of soleus injuries. But, the club will hope the setback lasts no longer than the two-week window and that the young midfielder returns in time for a crucial December period.

Thomas Frank’s appointment as Tottenham Hotspur boss brought about a newfound sense of excitement, with the Dane tasked with building on last season’s Europa League triumph.

He was brought into the club to replace Ange Postecoglou, even being handed over £100m by the hierarchy to make the desired changes he wanted to his first team squad.

Whilst his tenure in North London started off in excellent fashion, even remaining as the only side unbeaten away from home in the Premier League, but that came crashing down against Arsenal last week.

The Lilywhites have now failed to win any of their last three outings, shipping a total of 11 goals in that time – with five coming against PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday.

As a result, the hierarchy have since been targeting added reinforcements for the January transfer window to try and bolster Frank’s current first-team squad.

Spurs’ hunt for added reinforcements in January

During the past couple of weeks, Spurs have been targeting a move for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo – with the Ghanaian seen as the perfect man to improve the frontline.

He’s already scored six times and registered three assists in the Premier League this campaign, leading to interest from other sides such as Arsenal and Liverpool.

However, his asking price has already been revealed, with the 25-year-old available for £65m as his release clause becomes active from the start of 2026.

He’s not the only player currently in their sights, with Juventus centre-back Gleison Bremer a defensive option being targeted ahead of the upcoming window.

According to TuttoJuve, Frank’s men are “ready to make” a €40m (£35m) bid for the Brazilian, who has been restricted to just four Serie A appearances this campaign.

The report states that the Lilywhites see the 28-year-old as the perfect option to bolster their backline, but it’s unclear if his current employers will sanction his transfer.

Why Spurs’ £35m target would be an upgrade on Romero

After Frank’s appointment in the summer, the Dane made a swift decision to create a leadership group that would lead Spurs forward under his guidance in North London.

Centre-back Cristian Romero was named as one of the players in the aforementioned group, with the Argentine wearing the armband in every game he’s featured in.

Whilst many have heaped praise on the 27-year-old in recent times, he’s endured somewhat of a slump in form over recent weeks – as seen by the club’s poor defensive record.

He was even responsible for two of PSG’s goals on Wednesday night, as he gave the ball to Pape Sarr in a dangerous position, before blocking Vitinha’s shot with his hand – resulting in a penalty for the hosts.

His underlying stats have also taken a hit as a result in recent weeks, which has led to numerous areas becoming a cause for concern to the manager and his staff.

When comparing Romero’s stats to those of Bremer in 2025/26 to date, the Brazilian has managed to better his fellow South American in key areas – highlighting why he’d be an upgrade on the Lilywhites defender.

Bremer, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by Matteo Bonetti, has completed more of the passes he’s attempted, whilst also notching more key passes per 90.

Such numbers highlight his incredible ball-playing ability, with such numbers handing Frank an added option to play out from the back and through the thirds when needed.

He’s also won more of the tackles he’s entered in 2025/26, whilst making more clearances per 90 – offering the needed defensive quality the side has lacked in recent weeks.

Other numbers, such as a higher aerial success rate and more recoveries made, highlight his all-round dominance without the ball – with Bremer looking like an incredible addition at £35m.

Such a move may feel somewhat harsh on Romero, but ultimately, it’s clear that the hierarchy have identified a player who is a level above the Argentine international.

If the board can complete a deal for Bremer, it would be a superb deal and one that could finally hand Frank the answer to their recent struggles in the defensive third.

As bad as Romero: Frank must instantly drop 5/10 Spurs flop after PSG

Thomas Frank will have some huge calls to make on some players after Tottenham Hotspur’s latest defeat.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 27, 2025

The three teams contest a tri-series in Sharjah starting on Friday, in preparation for the grander Asia Cup next month

Danyal Rasool28-Aug-2025Pakistan and Afghanistan had initially planned a three-game T20I series to get some practice in ahead of the Asia Cup next month. That dry run has become even more faithful to conditions at the Asia Cup now that the series is being played in the UAE itself. The hosts, themselves a participant at the tournament, also join, making it a tri-nation series that in the past may just have looked like one group of an Asia Cup.Beyond its value as match practice for the Asia Cup, the significance of this tournament is limited, especially in the case of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The two sides are in different groups at that tournament, which takes place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and not Sharjah, where all games for the tri-series will be held.The mood music around Pakistan cricket at the moment is overwhelmingly negative, but they will go into this tri-series as favourites. They’re set to continue on the path of progressive, high-intent T20 batting that has characterised their approach over the last three T20I series under new white-ball coach Mike Hesson.Related

• Afghanistan pick 16 of 17 Asia Cup squad members for UAE tri-series

• Afghanistan bring back former Ireland allrounder John Mooney as fielding coach

• Junaid Siddique comes back as UAE ring in the changes for T20 tri-series

• Pakistan white-ball coach Hesson: Want players who are multi-skilled, not milestone obsessed

• 'Fearless without being careless' – Salman Agha lays down marker for Pakistan in T20Is

What Pakistan do about their bowling line-up, though, is more intriguing. Up till now under Hesson, Pakistan have – for better or worse – showcased a clear preference for allrounders over specialist bowlers in a bid to lengthen their batting line-up. It has meant anywhere between five to eight overs from non-specialists.That has worked for the most part in high-scoring contests where weaker opposition can essentially be batted out of the game; Pakistan won comfortably at home against Bangladesh, as well as two of the three games against West Indies in Florida. On slower, lower wickets where par scores range below 150, though, things have proven tricky, something Bangladesh exploited effectively in a 2-1 series defeat in July. With the surfaces in the UAE more likely to resemble those rather than anything seen at Gaddafi or Fort Lauderdale, how flexible Pakistan are with that strategy may go a long way to determining the kind of tournament they have.Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman will be key for Afghanistan•Associated PressAfghanistan appear particularly well-suited to exploiting this with a line-up whose batting explosiveness does not come at the expense of a quality bowling attack, particularly in the spin department. If the wickets offer slow-bowling assistance, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad are all well positioned to capitalise, with genuine allrounders, top-order attackers and fast bowlers spread throughout the squad.However, despite significant T20 pedigree and experience, there is a touch of the unknown about Afghanistan. They haven’t played a T20I all year, and even though their star players ply their trades in multiple leagues around the world, there is never a guarantee that translates to instant synchronisation within a national side. This tri-series serves as a useful lubricator to ensure all systems run smoothly at the Asia Cup, where they are in the harder of the two groups alongside Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.For UAE, the series is the perfect preparation ahead of their biggest tournament of the year. They have played their fair share of T20 cricket this year, and shown they can compete with the bigger teams in the format, coming from behind to beat Bangladesh 2-1 in May. The multi-team Pearl of Africa series in Entebbe was perhaps less impressive despite a second-placed finish, soured by two losses to the home side Uganda.UAE will rely heavily on their captain Muhammad Waseem•SLCTheir captain and opener Muhammad Waseem is their talisman and the one clear standout player in the side; he’s the leading run-scorer this year as well as one of the more explosive batters with a strike rate in excess of 155. Lower down the order, Asif Khan betters that with a superior average as well as a strike rate of 162.50 this year. But lack of firepower elsewhere, particularly for fellow opener Muhammad Zohaib, means sustaining momentum through an innings is likely to be a challenge. Power-hitting wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan, who was lured back from the UAE by Pakistan last year, would have been a handy addition.In slower conditions, left-arm orthodox spinner Haider Ali and wristspinner Zuhaib Zubair are the home side’s best hopes at strangling an opposition. Haider was instrumental in the series decider at this very ground against Bangladesh, figures of 4-1-7-3 keeping Bangladesh to a low enough target for batters like Asif to gun down. It was followed up by wickets in Entebbe; any path to victory must have Haider sustaining those performances.This tri-series is destined to be remembered only in the context of what happens at the Asia Cup, but Sharjah has found a way of embedding itself in cricketing lore and staying there. The next week may fan those flames a while longer.

Northamptonshire have re-signed Indian legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Australian seamer Harry Conway as overseas players for next season.Conway, who took 20 wickets in four Championship appearances earlier this year, will return for the start of the 2026 campaign. The 33-year-old is expected to be available for the first block of seven games in April and May.Chahal, meanwhile, has agreed to return for a third consecutive summer at Northants, joining for the second half of the season to play in the County Championship and Metro Bank One-Day Cup. Overall, he has taken 44 first-class wickets and seven in List A for the club.”Yuzi is a magnificent asset to this squad,” Northamptonshire’s head coach, Darren Lehmann, said. “His record across his career speaks for itself and he brings so much class and experience to the group. I loved working with him this year and am excited to go again in 2026.””For young spinners in the group like Nirvan Ramesh and Stuart van der Merwe, having Yuzi around to guide them will be a huge plus for their game.”On Conway, Lehmann added: “Harry is an excellent addition for 2026. His form last year was fantastic, and I am excited to work with him for a longer period. His ability to take wickets on all surfaces and presence around the team makes him an invaluable player.”Northants have also signed batter Louis Kimber on a two-year deal from Leicestershire. Largely known as a white-ball hitter and occasional offspinner, Kimber made headlines in 2023 after scoring 243 off 127 balls in the County Championship at Hove.”Louis brings with him a huge amount of knowledge and experience around county cricket as well as boosting our batting firepower,” Lehmann said. “He will no doubt attract people to Wantage Road with his explosive batting and I can’t wait to start working with him.”

Josh Shaw joins Somerset

Josh Shaw spent six years at Gloucestershire•Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Gloucestershire have seen another member of their seam-bowling group depart, after Josh Shaw signed for Somerset earlier this week.Shaw, 29, had been under contract at Bristol since 2019, having previously played on loan from Yorkshire. He follows Ajeet Singh Dale (Lancashire), Zaman Akhter (Essex), Archie Bailey (Durham), Tom Price and Dom Goodman (both Sussex) in leaving over the close season.”We have seen first-hand how impactful Josh can be,” Somerset’s director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said. “He has the ability to swing and seam the ball, and he is an excellent addition to our bowling unit.”We are fully aware of Josh’s strong character traits and his willingness to be the best version of himself, which will add real value to the dressing room as well as on the pitch. These attributes will be vital for us as we continue to compete across all competitions.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Ceará anunciou, na noite da última quarta-feira (10), a saída do técnico Léo Condé. O rebaixamento para a Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro representou o fim da linha e, com isso, o clube voltará a buscar um novo treinador após mais de um ano.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCearáPresidente do Ceará explica rebaixamento: ‘Faltou equilíbrio’Ceará09/12/2025CearáAnálise: irregularidade causa um cruel rebaixamento para o CearáCeará10/12/2025CearáLéo Condé deixa o Ceará após rebaixamento no BrasileirãoCeará10/12/2025

➡️ Tudo sobre o Vovô agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Ceará

Condé chegou no Alvinegro em junho de 2024, tendo a missão de obter o acesso à Série A. O time engatou boa sequência sob seu comando e alcançou o feito na última rodada da competição. Assim, seu contrato foi renovado até o fim de 2025.

Com um título estadual e duas eliminações nas Copas, o grande objetivo do Ceará no ano era permanecer na Primeira Divisão. Após a derrota para o Palmeiras e o consequente rebaixamento, as partes chegaram em um acordo pela saída. Como o vínculo era válido até o encerramento desta temporada, não houve demissão.

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➡️ Quando começa a Série B de 2026? Veja participantes

A passagem de Léo Condé no Ceará durou 83 jogos. Foram 37 vitórias, 17 empates e 29 derrotas, com 103 gols marcados e 78 sofridos.

O clube já busca um novo técnico, que terá a missão de comandar o Vovô no Campeonato Cearense, na Copa do Nordeste, na Copa do Brasil e na Série B.

➡️ Ceará amarga rebaixamento e descumpre duas metas no ano

Ceará descumpre duas metas de 2025

Com o rebaixamento, o Ceará descumpriu a última meta esportiva que restava para a temporada 2025. Anteriormente, os objetivos foram alcançados em duas das outras três.

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Nas metas, anunciadas no fim do ano passado, a previsão era de título no Campeonato Cearense. Tal fato se concretizou, visto que a equipe superou o rival Fortaleza na decisão e ficou com o bicampeonato.

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoCearáFutebol NacionalSérie B

As Shohei Ohtani gears up to once again represent Team Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic to help the country defend its title, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hopes the reigning National League MVP isn't planning on reprising his role as a two-way player for his home country.

“I don't,” Roberts told reporters on Monday at the winter meetings when asked if he knew if Ohtani would pitch in the WBC. “I'm hoping he doesn't. But I don't know. Shohei is very in tune with his body, but I would say probably, the thought is, he's probably just going to hit, but I really don't know.”

When Ohtani last played in the World Baseball Classic in 2023, it was as a two-way player, and he was his usual impactful self. In seven games, Ohtani posted a robust .435/.606/.739 slash line with one home run, eight RBIs and 10 walks. As a pitcher, Ohtani worked 9 2/3 innings—two games started and one contest in relief—pitching to a 1.86 ERA with 11 strikeouts. Along with then-Angels teammate Mike Trout, Ohtani provided baseball fans with peak theater when he struck out Trout, the tying run for Team USA in the top of the ninth inning, after an epic, six-pitch at-bat.

Unfortunately, later that September, Ohtani was forced to undergo surgery on his throwing elbow—and he would not return to the mound until the 2025 season with the Dodgers, who carefully managed his workload upon his return in June up until the postseason. And for Roberts, the less wear-and-tear on Ohtani's arm the better, especially with the Dodgers eyeing a three-peat in 2026.

Plus, it's not just Ohtani that Roberts is cautious about, but also Ohtani's fellow countrymen Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, each of whom is a good bet to once again represent Team Japan in the WBC come March.

“I think there's no more clarity for us,” Roberts said. “Obviously, it's something that they both are excited about potentially. Obviously, the country of Japan [is] excited. We have to have that conversation. I would like to think that it's going to be a dialogue as far as restrictions and limitations, in the sense of just trying to give them the opportunity.

“But also understand they've come off some stuff, some long seasons, and certainly with Yamamoto and looking out for 2026. But right now, there's no more clarity than we had before.”

The Dodgers are paying the trio of Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki, each of whom played a pivotal role in the club's 2025 title defense, over $1 billion. It's understandable that they'd be cautious with each of their workloads.

Pool play in the WBC begins on March 5.

تحدث حمد المقبالي حارس مرمى منتخب الإمارات، عن التعادل مع منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 اليوم السبت.

وتعادل منتخب مصر مع نظيره الإمارات بهدف لكل فريق في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب.  وقال المقبالي، عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت”: “اليوم لم يحالفنا الحظ، سعينا وسجلنا، لكن الكرة لم تنصفنا اليوم، ونقطة أفضل من لا شيء”.

طالع | شيكابالا: أنتظر تكرار سيناريو الأرجنتين مع منتخب مصر في كأس العرب وتابع: “نقطة أمام المنتخب المصري الكبير والقوي جدًا والشرس في الملعب، وسنركز في مواجهة منتخب الكويت ونحصد بطاقة التأهل، وستكون مباراة نهائية”.

وسيلعب منتخب الإمارات في الجولة المقبلة أمام الكويت، فيما يلتقي منتخب مصر أمام الأردن.

For the Los Angeles Dodgers, weaknesses do not stay weakness for very long.

The Dodgers are signing pitcher Edwin Díaz away from the Mets in an apparent bid to boost their bullpen, according to a Tuesday morning report from Will Sammon of . The deal is, per Ken Rosenthal, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Sammon, reportedly a three-year pact that will pay Diaz $69 million.

Díaz, 31, has spent six seasons with New York (excluding a 2023 lost to injury). Over the course of his tenure, he saved 144 games for the Mets—third in team history—after saving 109 in three years for the Mariners.

He was particularly effective in 2022, when he finished ninth in the National League Cy Young voting and 16th in the NL MVP voting (additionally, he helped turn his entrance music into a minor electronic hit). He also made the NL All-Star team in 2025.

Los Angeles' relievers lost 33 games last year—four above the league average—but the Dodgers won their second straight World Series title anyway.

The India opener’s takedown of Pakistan fast bowler has shaped the results of their previous two matches at this Asia Cup

Shashank Kishore27-Sep-20252:53

Chopra: Abhishek vs Shaheen could decide the game

Abhishek Sharma has been India’s spark plug at the Asia Cup, his fearlessness in the powerplay providing his team enough momentum to make up for the rustiness in the middle order.The 25-year old is on a hot-streak of back-to-back half-centuries against Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka; each of those innings so devastating that it deflated the opposition. His consistency – he made thirties in three matches preceding the half-centuries – is an upgrade on his previous hit-or-miss aggression.Shaheen Shah Afridi is also 25, though he has been around for much longer than his opponent on Sunday. He’s been successful against every team at this Asia Cup except India, against whom he’s bled 63 runs for no wicket in 5.5 overs across two games. In his two previous matches leading into Sunday’s final – both must-win fixtures for Pakistan – he took six wickets, having rediscovered the magic that made him new-ball royalty.Once renowned for his ability to strike in the first over of a T20, Afridi has come under attack from Abhishek. In their first meeting on September 14, Abhishek charged at Afridi first ball and hit a full toss back over his head. The next one disappeared over extra cover for six. Abhishek scored 31 off 13 balls, taking a sizeable chunk extremely quickly out of the target of 128.The sequel had even more heat in the wake of handshake-gate. Words were exchanged and Afridi’s temper frayed. When wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris suggested standing up to the stumps – to prevent Abhishek from stepping out – Afridi waved him away, his frustration visible. The first ball was a bouncer with a fine leg on the boundary; Abhishek hooked him for six right there anyway.After the first two bouts, the scoreline is 2-0 to Abhishek, his head to head with Afridi reading 31 runs off 14 balls with three sixes and two fours. For the India opener, round three on Sunday is perhaps his most high-pressure game yet.Related

• Salman Agha: 'If you deprive a fast bowler of their aggression, then what's left?'

• An India-Pakistan final that carries more weight than a title

• Morkel downplays Hardik, Abhishek fitness concerns

• How can Pakistan turn it around against India in the Asia Cup final?

He did play the IPL 2024 final, when he ran into Mitchell Starc who, despite struggling for most of the season, produced a six-ball burst that proved too good for Abhishek and Sunrisers Hyderabad. It’s that kind of big-match impact Pakistan hope Afridi will be able to summon too.Afridi did it once against India right here in Dubai, dismissing Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul with lethal inswing in the first over of their encounter in the 2021 T20 World Cup. It helped Pakistan beat India for the first time in a men’s World Cup game.The new-ball contest between the two has been fiery – in action and words•Getty ImagesSince then, Afridi has struggled against India. At the MCG in 2022, he came under Virat Kohli’s wheel. At the 2023 ODI World Cup, Afridi dismissed Shubman Gill in Ahmedabad to silence a crowd of 120,000 but India were on course for victory by then.At his best, like he was that night in 2021, Afridi is box office. His run-up is quick and has the crowd bristling with anticipation. And when the breakthrough arrives, his celebration is a statement: arms aloft with kisses blown into the skies.
His 22 wickets in the first over of T20Is are the joint most by a bowler from a Full Member nation. In all T20s – including franchise competitions – he’s second.His last two outings proved that Afridi hasn’t lost his new-ball magic. He dismissed Kusal Mendis second ball against Sri Lanka, and Parvez Hossain Emon with his fifth against Bangladesh. Sunday’s final is likely to be a charged contest, and it’s hard to see Abhishek approach Afridi in any other way.”Shaheen is obviously an aggressive bowler that will try and knock you over,” said India’s fast bowling coach Morne Morkel ahead of the game. “And Abhishek is not going to hold back. I think so far, every time these two went head-to-head, we all as cricket supporters and fans are on the edge of our seats, and that’s great for the game.”Whether Abhishek is able to dominate once again, or whether third time pays for all for Afridi, could chart the course of the 2025 Asia Cup final.